It is clear that in every direction, we need to more effectively learn to work and live together if we are to transform business and society. There is no escaping the responsibility each of us holds. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe captured it well, "Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image." What do you see as you look in the mirror at the end of each day? What contribution are you making toward creating a better organization, a better community, a better world by your personal behavior? In what ways are you influencing people to see and respect differences in others; consider things like your words, your actions, your decisions, your invitations to others...I am frequently asked what is the most important point in my book, Putting Our Differences to Work. I would have to say it is to master seeing and appreciating DIFFERENCES DIFFERENTLY.
Did you know DIFFERENCES have taken on a new significance? Organizations and individuals across the world are learning that the art of putting DIFFERENCES to work is the fastest way to accelerate the generation of new ideas and innovation and new levels of leadership and high performance. Each of us needs to strengthen our portfolio of skills to lead the way. I define five distinctive qualities that are essential for putting differences to work in my book. They fundamentally change the rules in how we think and act. They reframe old notions that no longer work to our advantage in our organizations or wherever we find ourselves having an opportunity to have a positive influence on others. These qualities are needed at all levels of leadership, including individual contributors and aspiring leaders who may not see themselves as leaders. Our distributed workplaces and communities mean that we all step in and out of leadership roles that require new skills to understand, interact, and relate with others different than we are.
So what questions should you ask when you look in the MIRROR at the end of the day? If you are practicing the five distinctive qualities of leadership, here are a few to consider:
- How did you incorporate differences into your contribution today?
- How did your curiosity help you learn from someone different from you?
- In what way did you broaden the notion of open, honest communication with others?
- What personal responsibility did you step up to take?
- What decisions or actions did you take that demonstrated that you chose mutualism as the final arbiter --- everyone benefits; no one is harmed?
- How did everyone benefit from your contribution?
RELATED RESOURCES:
If you need help, here are two ideas:
WORKING TOGETHER ... Innovate, Influence, and Win --- my "learning-on-the-go" audio series. It offers lots of great ideas. Sample for yourself. Designed to help you master the skills for putting differences to work and getting buy-in for your knew ideas at any level. http://www.globaldialoguecenter.com/workingtogether
Best...
Debbe
Debbe Kennedy
founder, Global Dialogue Center Twitter@debbekennedy
and Leadership Solutions Companies
author, Putting Our Differences to Work(Berrett-Koehler 2008)
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership, and High Performance
YouTube Book Review by futurist Joel A. Barker
Do you Tweet?
Follow @onlinedialogues and @debbekennedy on Twitter
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